Twelve weeks from Sunday
Twelve weeks from Sunday is the big race day! It is unbelievable! During the week I looked at my legs and my pride said: Neh, they can do ninety kilometers; there is no need to continue with training. Then I thought about the distance and how I would get there without burnout. There is only one solution: keep on training and do it with purpose. Over the last week there was very little time to practice. I was on the road Monday and Tuesday, but only for an hour or two – not the four hours that is needed at this point. With the wind blowing at 50km an hour here in the Vaal, there is no way that anybody could compete with it! On windy days I trained in the gym, but I don’t enjoy sitting still for three hours going nowhere!
Sunday I went out on the road to do sixty kilometers. I cycled to the turnaround point in only an hour and fifteen minutes, which was incredible, but riding back I realized that it was the wind pushing me from behind. It was still fun.
My knee did start to ache again but I decided to cycle though all the pain.
With the time factor in mind I know that I must use every opportunity to be on the road cycling, even if it’s just for an hour – which is not the ideal anymore, but still counts.
It is spring so the days are a bit warmer and the winds not so rough. My health is also picking up!
From here I go from good to better with a big smile!
By Deon Labuschagne
